Tricycle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

. S. F. ESTELL.

TRIGYGLE.

No. 517,741. Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

ml NAnoNAL umoww-mm count.

vlmmm'ou. n. c.

(No Model!) 2 Sheath-Sheet 2.

S. F. ESTELL.

TRIGYGLE. v No. 517,741. Patented Apr. 3, 1894. i!

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF cE.

SAMUELF. ESTELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRICYCLE.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,741, dated April 3, 1894.

Application filed May 2'7, 1893. Serial No. 476,805. (No model) To alt whom it may concern:

Be 11'. known that I, SAMUEL F. ESTELL, of Chlcago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improve-.

-5 is a front elevation of the same.

The purpose of my invention is to so construct a tricycle that it shall be compact, and at'the same time have sufficient base, to maintain its normal position whenat rest, even when supporting the weight of a rider; this 1n conjunction with, and made feasible by, a certain pivotal and oscillatory movement, hereinafter set forth.

In my improvement the opposite wheels are placed in front and closely together, and the rear wheel so connected therewith as to permit lateral oscillation of the latter. As a result of this construction the rider is en abled, in a curvedpath, to incline the rear portion of the vehicle, and thus, notwithstanding the proximity of the front wheels, one to the other, which maintain their vertical positions, an equilibrium, as with momcycle, may be maintained. Provision is also made for automatically guiding the cycle. The front wheels, a, a, are mounted on a short rigid axle, b.

Centrally of axle bis rigidly secured a part 0, corresponding in function to the front fork of a bicycle. On the upper portion of the latter is a loose sleeve, 61.

The frame and other rear portions of the cycle are identical, in the present example, with a well known form of bicycle. The two tubes or bars of the frame, e and e, are

, connected, at the front to a bar The latter is pivotally connected at J centrally of 1138 length, to' the sleeve, (1. Beneath sleeve d, and rigidly attached to the part c, are provided rearwardextending flanges, m, m, between which the position of the lower end of bar 1' is located. Attached to tube e, and secured by means of a collar n, are provided springs 70, It, that embrace the sides of sleeve (1. As a parent, by reason of the pivotal joint at oscillation of the frame and rear wheel is permitted. The purpose of the springs k, k, is to modify the lateral action. When bar ll is made to incline from a line coincident with part 0, its engagement with flange m or m" serves to change the direction. of the front wheels, and as an apparent result, and as shown in Fig. 1, the inclination of theframe' and the direction of the Wheels conform each to a curve in their respective relations thereto. 1

The dotted lines, (Fig. 5) indicate the oscillatory movement of the frame. Thus, though the pair of wheels remain vertical, and thereby equally share in" supporting the weight, the frame and rear Wheel may be leaned to suit the speed and the radius of the curve, to thereby contract momentum. 7 The springs k, k, are designed to be of such strength as to flex readily when the riders body is laterally inclined, and yet offer-enough resistance to flexion to maintain an upright position of the frame and its rider when erect, with the cycle at rest.

The automatic steering appliance is de-' signed as an adj unct, but it is entirely nonessential to the principal feature of my invention; tiller arms ,t being provided for controlling direction in the absence of self-guidingprovision, and also to aid, if desired, when the latter is present.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tricycle having its pair of wheels in front and a laterally oscillating rear wheel, the automatic guiding mechanism consisting of sleeve (1, pivotal bar i, springs k, k and flanges m, m, in combination with part C. and a rear frame all constructed and operating in themanner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a tricycle the wheels at, a, axle 1), part c, and the rear frame in combination with sleeve d, pivot J, bar i, and springs 7a, 71:,subz', pivot j, and flanges m and m',snbstantially stantially as described. as specified. 3. The combination of part c, sleeve d, pivot 7, and springs k, k, in a tricycle having a pair 5 of opposite wheels in front, substantially as Witnesses:

specified. BYRON E. MGMILLAN,

4. The combination of part a, sleeve (1, bar WM. S. EsTELL.

SAMUEL F. ESTELL. 

